It's just the beginning

When you are born and brought up in India; there are certain milestones you are supposed to hit before 30. First, you are supposed to be an engineer or some sort of technical professional who brings home good amount of money (Thankfully this is changing rapidly as parents are becoming more and more supportive of wide career choices. So when I say technical career it's from my childhood days. However, this requirement is more or less true for a large section of population till date.) Secondly, you have to have a car, an apartment that you bought, and other material things that one needs at home. You should have a certain amount of bank balance, savings accounts and you must be on some sort of investment schedule. Thirdly, and probably the most important is you have to have a spouse and a child before you hit 30. When I look at these requirements I just say, LoL. How in the world is this supposed to happen when until you hit 30, you are sort of trying to grasp the vastness of the world and understand who you are.

Thank you America, for not having these deadlines for me. While talking to a friend few months ago, I realized that accomplishments as viewed by the society; are impossible to achieve before I hit 30. It took me 24 years to understand what I want to study and it took even more years to understand what I want to be when I grow up. And I use the phrase "Grow Up" seriously; because there is so much growing up to do even after one hits a certain age limit. Knowing who we are and what we want takes years than the society would allow us. But I am glad I took all that time to reach the point where I stand now.

Until I left home to come to US, I was a child. Literally. I did all academic studying but when it came to life experiences I has zero account credit. After living alone in a different country and in a completely different culture; I got to see things in new light. I took lot of time to realize what it was, I was looking for. Self realization takes time and we have to give that time. I still don't get the rush to finish everything before 30. I feel personally, it's a gestation period until 30. Then sort of we come to life. There are few exceptional people I know, who just knew who they were at a very early stage. But then most of us keep struggling for a long period of time before we reach a place where things get familiar. Unfortunately, many of my friends never got that chance of self-realization and now they just 'are'.

In spite of the reality of acute competition, I think we need to take a pause and realize "Hey, in the lifespan of 80/90 years, reaching 30 is just 1/3rd of the journey. Let's take a step back and see what I really want." I feel being 30, is just the beginning. Beginning of life as some sort of cognizant human being. I think being 30 is actually when one's journey as an adult begins. Until then we are just young-adults who can vote and drink and get married legally. But when it comes to understanding our potential, our dreams, our life; 30 is when we really become adults. 

So to all my friends, who turned 30 or will be turning 30 soon; Welcome to Life. It's pretty fantastic!